Subuktakīn (1), the Emir of the East, it was said to him: “If a non-existent thing were to be described, it could only be described with the very attributes by which you have characterized the Lord, namely, that He is neither inside the world nor outside it.” He wrote to Abū Isḥāq al-Isfarāʾīnī about this, and the only reply either of them gave was that, were He outside the world (2), He would necessarily be a body. Thus they answered the one who challenged them with what is self-evident to reason by merely claiming to possess a proof.
[I say] (3): His line of argument (4) here is exactly the same, for to assert that the One in whom there is absolutely no difference, multiplicity, or variation whatsoever can nevertheless be many different things is to combine two mutually exclusive propositions. The falsity of this is known by the most obvious intuition of the intellect. [So if someone is told: “This statement is patently false by the intuition of reason”] (5) is his proper response to advance a proof of its soundness? No—he should rather show that it is not at odds with the intuitive and necessary dictates of reason, and he has failed to do so.
“… the Sunnah. He hosted a debate there between Ibn al-Haysam and Ibn Furak on the issue of 'uluww (exaltation). He judged Ibn al-Haysam’s arguments the stronger and thus favored them. It is reported that he said to Ibn Furak: “If you intended to describe the nonexistent, how would you describe it in terms greater than this?” Or he said: “Distinguish for me between this Lord you describe and the nonexistent.” It is also said that Ibn Furak wrote to Abu Ishaq al-Isfara'ini seeking an answer, and the reply was simply that, if He (Allah) were above the Throne, it would necessitate that He be a body.”
See al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya by Ibn Kathir, vol. 12, p. 33, where he alluded to this debate.
(1) He is Abu al-Qasim Mahmoud ibn Sabuktakin al-Ghaznawi al-Turki, the Conqueror of India, nicknamed Yamin al-Dawla. He assumed power in 389 AH after the death of his father Nasir al-Dawla, following a victorious war against his brothers. He died in 421 AH. See al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala', vol. 17, pp. 483–495; al-Subki, Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya, vol. 5, pp. 314–327; al-Zarkali, al-A'lam, vol. 8, pp. 47–48.
(2) The original reads 'ilm (knowledge), a scribal error; manuscripts S and T confirm the correct reading.
(3) Text in angle brackets is an insertion found in manuscript T. There is blank space the length of one word in both the original and manuscript S.
(4) The original reads binazrah (“with a glance”), confirmed by S and T, which restores the sense. After this word, both the original and manuscript S show blank space the length of one word; this does not affect the meaning.
(5) Text in angle brackets is omitted in manuscript S.